Kashmir News Observer (KNO)

Srinagar, September 21 (KNO): Hurriyat Conference (M) has strongly denounced the imposition of curfew in Srinagar, barring Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid and other mosques and caging APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on the occasion of Ashura.

The spokesman strongly condemned the police action on the mourners taking out a religious procession on the eve of Ashura, terming the arrest and detention of scores of mourners as totally authoritarian and against all the principles of humanity. In a statement issued to KNO, the spokesman said it is for the 14th Friday this year so far when authorities disallowed the congregational Friday prayers at the grand masjid. He said that sealing Jamia Masjid time and again reflects the dictatorial approach of the rulers and least respect for religious sentiments of people.

The spokesman said that on the sacred occasion of 10th Muharram Mirwaiz was going to address a religious gathering at Alam Sahab Narwara to shed light on the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and the lessons of Karbala for the Muslim Ummah, as has been the tradition of Mirwaizeen in Ashura . But the authorities who have scant respect for religious rights and practices of majority community did not allow it. The spokesman said that the policy of force being against people to keep them away from the religious practices and gatherings exposes their repression further.(KNO)